


often askew

by exbex



Series: I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends [14]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Childbirth, Multi, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26449807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exbex/pseuds/exbex
Summary: “Why are you so irritated with me? Maxwell’s the one who got your wife pregnant.”
Relationships: Maxwell Beaumont/Main Character (The Royal Romance)
Series: I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642447
Comments: 12
Kudos: 9





	often askew

But Mouse, you are not alone,

In proving foresight may be vain:

The best laid schemes of mice and men

Go often askew

“To a Mouse” -Robert Burns

Maxwell didn’t have a plan.

He was in his thirties now, so it had been a while since he was inclined to proceed with a course of action without any semblance of a plan. The trouble was, he was not entirely certain that the idea that was brewing was something he should nurture.

He didn’t feel as though there was something missing in his life. But he couldn’t deny that his life, charmed as it was, could be even better. He frowned, staring out the window at the vineyards of the Beaumont estate. Perhaps it wasn’t really that, so much as his heart was over-flowing and his love needed another conduit.

Or maybe he just needed fewer flowery metaphors and more grown-up, decisive discussion.

He looked down at his niece, sleeping in his arms, and smiled. He couldn’t deny it; he’d love to give her a cousin.

“You managed to put Annabelle to sleep?” Bertrand’s incredulity was enough to make Maxwell snicker, as the Duke of Ramsford’s sternness lost some of it’s sharp edge when it was whispered out of fear of waking a sleeping toddler.

“She’s an angel,” Maxwell murmured.

“She’s a holy terror,” Bertrand responded as he settled in next to Maxwell. “She reminds me a bit of you at that age.” His eyebrows were furrowed but he gave Maxwell’s shoulder a squeeze.

“I want one,” Maxwell said, returning his gaze to Annabelle. There was a long, pregnant pause before Bertrand broke the silence, but Maxwell could hear the whirring of the cogs that controlled Bertrand’s brains and were probably connected to his expressive eyebrows. “And what does Riley think?”

“She’s always encouraged me to continue paying the sperm bank to store the semen samples we didn’t use when we were doing the IVF. And you know how she is about spending money, so she must be open to the idea. Though I imagine Riley might be more keen to adopt…”

“Maxwell. When was the last time the two of you actually discussed becoming parents?” 

“Well….” Maxwell hedged. “We said we were going to return to the topic if...when we needed to. But I guess we haven’t really had the talk since shortly after we stopped IVF. It was when we were in Texas for your wedding, I remember that.”

“Maxwell, that was…”

“I know how many years ago it was, Bertrand.” Maxwell sighed. “The thing is, we were both so relieved. And we decided just to focus on our marriage, because we hadn’t even had our first anniversary yet, and then there were a couple of small crises, and then a pandemic, and then Spyleygate. And after we somehow came out of all of that even stronger, well, it’s seemed that we’ve had such a good thing. And that is the thing; I’m so happy. We both are. I don’t find myself wandering around the Zane estate longing for the pitter patter of little feet. My life isn’t incomplete.” He trailed off, not sure how to articulate what was behind his desire.

“But a child would be….a blessing instead of a burden?”

“Yes, exactly.” Maxwell beamed at his brother, but it was short-lived. “But it’s not a dealbreaker for me. It never has been. And I’m afraid…”

“That it might be a dealbreaker for Riley.” Bertrand paused, considering. “So what would you have to lose if you brought it up to her?”

“She might say yes just to make me happy.”

“You’ve already been through that once. Riley isn’t one to make the same mistake twice.”

“It risks planting a seed that could grow out of control. If she says no, but thinks that she’s denying me something, even with my reassurances…”

“She’ll carry around the guilt.”

“Right.”

Bertrand nodded, narrowing his eyes in thought. His shoulders relaxed. “There’s nothing for it, Maxwell. Everything you’re afraid of, you will have to address.”

Maxwell sighed. “I know. It’s a risk-benefit type of thing. I just don’t know if the risk is worth it.”

Bertrand rubbed a hand over his chin. “Maxwell, I say this as a father, and as someone who knows you and Riley. The risk, I’d wager, is worth it.”

*****

The babies started coming after the variety of crises finally settled. Olivia and Liam had Eleanor, and then two years later, Victoria. Then Savannah and Bertrand had managed to conceive after having given up on giving Bartie a sibling. And then Olivia and Liam had Andreas shortly afterward. Hana and Drake’s twins had just been born a few weeks ago. It was that one that had really stoked something in Maxwell. Hana’s difficult pregnancy had found Maxwell spending more than one evening consoling a worried Drake.

_“She’s so miserable right now. And I can’t do anything for her except rub her back while she cries.”_

_Maxwell was growing dizzy as he watched Drake pace back and forth. “Isn’t that exactly what she’s asked you to do?”_

_“Yes. But it’s not enough.”_

_“Not enough for her? Or not enough for you?”_

_Drake finally stopped pacing. “She’s not herself. She’s sad. I haven’t seen her this sad in years.”_

Maxwell had reassured him that things would get better. And then he’d breathed a sigh of relief when the twins were born and they had. But then he’d held them after they were robust enough to leave the hospital, and something stirred within him, the beginnings of something he couldn’t define yet.

Maxwell had a script in his head, and it was practically blocked and memorized by the time he was strolling into the Zane estate. He was nervous, but there were no butterflies in his stomach, just a few caterpillars milling about, many of them settled into cocoons.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace.” Alfred met him in the foyer.

“Afternoon Alfred. Is the lady of the house around?”

“Her Grace is in the parlor with Countess Madeleine and Countess Fatima.”

Maxwell stopped, surprised. “Oh? That’s...unexpected.” Madeleine was generally more apt to summon them to the palace or handle things over a conference call. Fatima was more inclined to call on them socially, but she wasn’t one to show up unannounced.

“How long have they been meeting Alfred?”

“Only a few minutes, Your Grace. Shall I announce you?”

“Yes. Thank you Alfred.”

*****

Madeleine had had a plan.

She had had spreadsheets and charts and graphs and SPSS, she and Fatima had spent hours poring over a catalog of sperm donors, finally narrowing down their choices with confidence.

Madeleine had had a plan that had been dashed by the negligence and carelessness of one employee. Once upon a time, she had secretly been relieved, absurd as it was, when others proved to be in over their heads, because it gave her an opportunity to swoop in and do things correctly, which was less worrying than trusting others. But then life had happened, she’d found herself dealing with her obsessive-compulsive tendencies with the help of therapy, and she’d been able to let go.

This, however, had the potential to set her back to the beginning. It was only Fatima, who had taken her hand, breathed with her, and began a list, standing in between Madeleine and madness.

_“What was our goal?”_

_Madeleine exhaled. “To get pregnant.”_

_“Exactly. Objective achieved. Now what is our goal.”_

_Madeleine narrowed her eyes, and paused. Fatima nodded in encouragement. “To stay pregnant, until delivery,” Madeleine continued. “And, to keep this secret so that no one can take our child away from us.”_

_Fatima just looked calmly into her eyes. Madeleine sighed. “Do we have to?”_

_“Yes. It’s the right thing to do.” Fatima put her hands on Madeleine’s shoulders. “But trust me. No one is going to take our child away from us.”_

“You have impeccable timing.” Madeleine was shaken from her thought spiral by Riley’s voice and the appearance of Maxwell, but neither of these things alleviated the tightening of the coil of anxiety. The gentle pressure of Fatima’s hand on her own and her reassuring smile, however, did.

“It seems we have something that we need to discuss,” Riley said to Maxwell as he settled next to her on the settee. The Valtorians turned their attention to Madeleine and Fatima. 

“I’m pregnant,” Fatima began. Madeleine could see Riley and Maxwell begin to speak, offer congratulations, and their mild surprise when Fatima uncharacteristically continued without pausing. “But there was a problem at the sperm bank. Madeleine and I chose a donor, but someone made an error with the paperwork…”

Riley registered it straightaway. Madeleine could see it dawning on her, the way her eyes widened and her lips parted just slightly.

“...and I was mistakenly inseminated with Maxwell’s sperm.”

****

It was pretty uncharacteristic of Madeleine and Fatima to pull a prank. And this was definitely a prank. Right? Things like this didn’t actually happen in real life. It was a pretty clever prank.

“Maxwell?” Two pairs of brown eyes were looking at him in concern. Madeleine was looking at Riley. Something about the scene made Maxwell realize that this very much was not a prank.

“I know it’s...a lot.” Fatima’s hand went to her abdomen, almost unconsciously. “But we wanted to tell you before we spoke to lawyers.”

Madeleine cleared her throat. “We will need to reconvene within the next 72 hours to discuss our next steps. And I encourage you to hire your own lawyers.”

“Not that this is going to turn into some kind of custody battle,” Fatima intervened. “We just need to employ mediators in order to keep things running smoothly.”

“This is for real?” Riley stared at the two women across from her. “Because it sounds like it’s straight out of a telenovela.”

“You know I don’t joke.” Madeleine scowled. 

Riley nodded. “Alrighty then. So we’ll call you tomorrow?” Riley looked between the three of them. “We’ll get in touch with our lawyers and then schedule our next meeting.”

Madeleine nodded. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you to keep this between the four of us for now.”

Riley nodded. “Of course.” The three women shared polite, bordering on cordial, smiles.

“Right,” Maxwell said, standing. “In the meantime, we celebrate. I’ll be back with some sparkling cider.” He left the room and was halfway to the kitchen before he realized that he was light-headed

Riley found him sitting against a wall, breathing in and out slowly. She sat down next to him, took his hand, and waited.

“So,” Maxwell finally began, “I really hope you don’t hate me, but this is really awesome news.”

“Even if this were bad news, I definitely wouldn’t hate you.”

It was exactly the right thing to say, and just enough, and Maxwell fell in love with her all over again. “Right. Good. I promised cider.”

Riley rubbed tiny circles on the back of his hand. “True. But I’m sure they’ll still be there when we go back. Take your time.”

Madeleine’s expression was inscrutable, but she accepted the glass with a murmured thank you. Fatima smiled and thanked them. Maxwell grinned and raised his glass. “To the future.”

“To the future.”

*****

“Come to the balcony with me?” Riley took his hand after they’d seen Madeleine and Fatima off. 

“Great idea.” There were a few places that were uniquely their’s, refuges from the rest of the world. The balcony was one of them. Maxwell tried to picture Riley sitting out there, holding the baby in her arms. He couldn’t quite conjure it. Maybe it was because Riley, for all the time she spent being an “auntie” never sat on the balcony with any of the children. And why would she, when there were so many other places on the estate? It struck Maxwell then that Riley’s role in all of this wouldn’t be so easily defined. Stepmother didn’t seem entirely accurate. Auntie would be familiar and comfortable for her, but Maxwell didn’t relish the distance that the role implied.

Riley faced him, taking his hands into her’s. “Love, how are you feeling about all of this? I mean, I know you’re happy, but...it’s a lot. And it’s unexpected, and a bit weird.”

Maxwell thought about running after Riley at the airport seven years ago. Although he’d convinced her to stay, she hadn’t really stayed for him. She’d stayed to clear her name, to clean up her mess, to help Hana and Olivia and Liam. She hadn’t stayed for him. But it was why she’d chosen him, at least in part. He hadn’t asked her for anything.

_“That doesn’t sound accurate. I asked you to save House Beaumont by becoming Queen of Cordonia. I don’t think Hana and Olivia asked you for anything.”_

_“No, but I felt like they needed me. I know, I know; I’m a hypocrite. I don’t want anyone to white knight me, but there I was, rolling in with my savior complex.”_

_Maxwell smirked and pulled her closer. “You wanted to rescue me.”_

_“You didn’t need rescuing. I think I wanted to conquer you.”_

_“Yeah? I think that’s my next tattoo. ‘Property of Riley Zane’ right on my non-tattooed cheek.”_

_Riley squealed as he leaned in and kissed behind her ear. “You’re all my weaknesses, Maxwell Percival Beaumont.”_

“About fifteen percent nervous and eighty-five percent excited.” He squeezed her hands gently. “This is better timing than we generally have. I was literally telling Bertrand yesterday that I want a baby.”

Riley’s eyes widened. She nodded. “So...were you planning on telling me?”

“Yeah, of course.” He paused. “I was pretty nervous though. Because I was pretty sure you don’t want to have children.”

“I don’t. But that means that this is rather serendipitous, as strange as it is.”

Maxwell tugged at her hand, leading her to sit down next to him on the bench. “Talk to me. What’s good about this, in your point of view?”

“Well, you get to be a dad. I don’t have to be pregnant. There are two other parents involved, so we’re not raising this child by ourselves.”

Maxwell looked at her, nodding slowly. “I have to agree. It’s, in a very weird way, kind of the perfect way. I mean, it sounds like Fatima and Madeleine are committed to things being fair for all of us.”

Riley nodded. “I trust them. I mean, we need to get in touch with lawyers of course, but I’m feeling cautiously optimistic.”

“So am I.” Maxwell looked at her. “Are you just talking about legal stuff, or the other stuff that comes with all of this...stuff.”

“All of it. It’s overwhelming, but...we’ve been through crazier stuff.”

Maxwell nodded, then held her gaze. “Okay. That’s what you’re thinking, but what are you feeling?”

Riley inhaled, then exhaled slowly. “About sixty percent terrified and forty percent relieved.” She looked at him, her face etched with guilt. “Because I don’t know that I ever would have agreed to have a baby.” Maxwell squeezed her hand and didn’t break eye contact. Guilt faded away to a matter-of-fact acceptance. “Kind of feel sorry for the poor bastards who messed this up at the cryobank. I wonder if we can go-to-bat for them. I mean, not that I’m excusing incompetence, but for you and I at least, this was a very happy...accident.”

Maxwell put his arm around her. “Happy accident, or fate? After all, I’m a Pisces, and you’re a Capricorn, which are excellent matches.”

“Fate isn’t real, and astrology is a load of horseshit,” she replied, in the same words and the same order that she had for their entire relationship. Maxwell even knew the number of seconds she tended to pause before adding the next part. “Besides, you could be an Aries, you know, and therefore considered a poor match for a Capricorn.”

“Ah, but I am a Pisces, because I was born in the wee hours of the morning on March 20th.”

“More reasons astrology is foolishness. I was born in a different time zone,” Riley added, in all her beautiful predictability. Maxwell grinned, knowing she’d set him up for the next bit. “So maybe we don’t actually fit together all that well, Mr. Beaumont.”

He waggled his eyebrows the same way he had for years. “”Oh, I can show you a part of me that fits perfectly in you.”

“Nerd,” she rolled her eyes, and Maxwell knew they’d be okay.

*****

“This is something that only could have happened to you.” Olivia set Andreas carefully on the floor so he could crawl about and explore, then sat on the settee next to Hana, who was feeding Lily. 

Riley looked up from Alexander, who’d been fed and burped and was now sleepily curling his tiny hand around her index finger. “What? Really?”

Olivia arched one perfect eyebrow. “When I review the bizarre series of events that is your life, yes, that is the conclusion that I come to. And we all know there’s a short list of things that could have happened to cause you to become a parent.”

“Liv!” Hana scolded as she adjusted Lily. But Riley could see the question in Olivia’s eyes.”

“It’s fine. It really is. Even all of the legal mediations are going remarkably smoothly.”

“That’s a relief,” Hana said. She examined Riley’s face. “It’s fortunate that Fydelia and Valtoria are close to one another. I imagine it makes it easier in a way.”

“It does. Actually, Fatima is going to move into the estate at some point. Madeleine will go between the two estates, and Valtoria will become a sort of...I don’t know, homebase for the two of them and the baby.”

Hana and Olivia both stared at Riley in surprise. “What led to that decision?”

“It’s closer to Fatima’s preferred doctors and birthing center. And, well, our legal teams have come to an agreement. The baby will be heir to the duchy of Valtoria.”

The sound of Andreas fussing a bit interrupted the moment, and Olivia stood to tend to him. “How did you come to this decision?”

“Well, it appears to be the choice that most upholds legal precedent. Fatima isn’t Cordonian-born, gave up her title in Jordan, and the baby’s one biological parent is legally a member of House Zane.”

Hana patted Lily’s back carefully. “How does everyone feel about that?”

“Everyone seemed relieved to just have it decided. No one really wanted to arbitrate that.”

“Things have an interesting way of working out around here,” Olivia sat down, holding Andreas, who yawned sleepily. “Especially for you.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you’ve managed to negotiate doing things your own way from the moment you set foot on Cordonian soil, and managed to ingratiate yourself enough to receive amnesty when your little secret got out.” Olivia paused. “And I will be the first to say that you’ve more than earned it, but it’s interesting that you always land on your feet no matter what.”

Olivia wasn’t wrong. Riley had made it clear that she was willing to lose everything or walk away from all of it, with Maxwell’s love being the one possible exception.

And even that was something that she knew she could heal from, even if she hated to even entertain the possibility.

“But I haven’t wanted children. And I don’t care if House Zane endures.” Riley wasn’t sure what point she was trying to make.

Hana stood and walked over to lay Lily in her bassinet. She gave Riley an indulgent smile as she scooped Alexander out of her arms. “But Maxwell does want children. And he does care that House Zane endures. That’s something that you have struggled to understand, Riley. The latter, anyway. And that perspective has been good for Cordonia, in many ways.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming.”

“I’m just saying this situation is serendipitous for you. And for Maxwell.”

Olivia chimed in. “You may be able to accept it easily. I suspect Madeleine, with her...tendencies, might be having some more difficulty.”

Riley gave a wry smile. “She keeps saying she has everything under control, as far as the media aspects of things.And that she just wants what’s best for the baby and Cordonia, which she feels means Valtoria gets an heir. As far as her deeper feelings, I’m pretty sure the only person she truly confides in is Fatima.”

“Who is rather busy gestating at the moment.”

“Yeah,” Riley sighed. “There is a part of me that is waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

****

Madeleine surveyed the photographs in front of her. They were all essentially interchangeable, the only difference being the couples in them, emerging from the hospital or birthing center with their swaddled babies in each woman’s arms, save for the one where Drake and Hana each held one of the twins. She’d had a hand in coordinating each one.

Fatima was months away from giving birth, but Madeleine wasn't a procrastinator. Granted, she also wasn't one to stare blankly at a task in front of her, wondering how to proceed. This photograph would decidedly not conform to the others, and Madeleine was at a loss as to how to orchestrate this one.

A voice that was annoyingly similar to Riley’s asked why the woman was always the one holding the baby. Madeleine rolled her eyes. It was easy for Riley to bend the rules. She had the ability to walk away from her lands, her title, her life in Cordonia, and she knew it. It was a power she didn’t exactly flaunt, but she did know how to wield. It wasn’t lost on Madeleine that Riley was, once again, the presence that was complicating things. The photo op would be easy enough if she could position Fatima in the middle, with Maxwell on one side and Madeleine on Fatima’s other. What was most irritating was that, if Madeleine asked Riley to stay out of the photo, Riley probably would, making herself look long-suffering and self-sacrificial. But the press and social media would run wild, not to mention that both Maxwell and Fatima would object. 

Perhaps it wasn’t entirely fair to project so much of her frustration on Riley. Again, Madeleine imagined her voice. “Why are you so irritated with me? Maxwell’s the one who got your wife pregnant.”

Madeleine closed her eyes and breathed. She could acknowledge, these days, the truth of being careful what she wished for. Had she gotten all the things she once thought she’d wanted, she’d have lost herself, much as if she’d stood on a beach and clutched the sand tightly in her hand, only to watch it spill through her fingers.

She opens her eyes as she hears Fatima’s steps approaching. “Oh, now what’s causing that look on your face?” She placed her hands on Madeleine’s shoulders and began to work at the knots.

Madeleine sighed. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”

“Well, if you’d like, you can think of it as me berating you for working too hard and obsessing,” Fatima answered dryly as she peered at the various photos spread out. “These are all so lovely. Let me pretend you’re looking at them because you’re so looking forward to having this baby, rather than because you’re obsessing over how to tell the world the strange circumstances that led to this pregnancy.”

“You have a rather annoying habit of being reasonable.”

“Annoying? Or endearing?” Fatima slid her arms around Madeleine’s waist.

Madeleine’s smile was slow but effulgent. “Sanity-saving. But...I still have a job to do. One that I care about immensely.”

“I know,” Fatima placed kisses on her cheek. “It’s part of who you are and I love it. And because you’re so good at it, I know you’re going to figure it out. But I think you should do it after you have dinner with me and then go for a walk in the gardens.”

“Darling, how could I say no?”

*****

It wasn’t Riley’s usual modus operandi, to lie to the press. She’d become the master of using blunt honesty as a power move.

“It’s a white lie,” Riley insisted. “A lie by omission. Really protecting a state secret.”

Madeleine glowered at her. “Protecting an incompetent cryobank employee in the process.”

“It could be worse,” Riley replied. “There’s this short story where these astronauts are re-entering Earth, and somebody hadn’t done their job properly, so the shuttle crashed. One astronaut dies and the other? Paralyzed from the waist down. And that’s not even the worst part. Years later the surviving astronaut discovers that aliens have invaded his body and they call lightning out of the sky and kill people.”

Fatima laughed. “Oh Riley, you are one of the strangest but most delightful people I’ve ever known.”

Madeleine rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe the press bought it.”

“Well, it’s true.” Maxwell shrugged. “Fatima was artificially inseminated with my sperm, the baby will be raised by all four of us and will be the Valtorian heir. Just because we didn’t plan it ahead of time…And besides, we didn’t come right out and say that we planned this, we just left out the part where Fatima was mistakenly inseminated with my sperm instead of the chosen sperm.”

“Yes,” Riley nodded. “The best lies are wrapped up in layers of truth.”

Madeleine frowned. “People will speculate.”

“I don’t care.” Fatima looked at the three of them and rubbed a hand absentmindedly over her abdomen. “I don’t care what people think, what they question, what they discover. I only care about my son or daughter, my wife, and that we all, everyone in this room, including this little courgette or whatever fruit or vegetable they’re now the size of, does right by one another.” She paused. “Honestly, I don’t think things could have happened any better than they did. Maybe we didn’t plan it like this, would have never dreamed of planning it like this, but I’m glad it happened this way. I’m glad this child will know their father, and I am certain they have four wonderful parents.”

There was a long pause.

“That was awesome.” Maxwell nodded. “The smartest thing I’ve heard anyone say in...I don’t know. But it was damned smart.”

Madeleine allowed a grin. “I concur.”

Riley looked impassive, but her eyes betrayed her gratitude. “Thank you.”

Madeleine raised an eyebrow. “It’s simply the truth, Riley.”

Riley shrugged. “Dialectics. It can be true and I can be grateful that Fatima said it.”

Fatima smiled. “Indeed. Now, I am craving fondue. And you’re all going to accompany me. A demand I feel comfortable making because I am doing all the physical labor during this pregnancy. Though I will be treating you as a reward for your emotional labor.”

Maxwell grinned. “Well, to deny your request would be a major fon-don’t. I’ll call a car.”

**

“So...you guys didn’t actually plan this, did you? This is actually some bizarre telenovela-level mixup or something, I’m guessing.”

“Why would you even think that?”

“Riley, seriously. You didn’t open this conversation with ‘Hello Logan. How are you? How’s James? How’s Aurora?’ You opened it with ‘How do you do the step-parent thing?’ A question I don’t think you’d be asking if you had actually sat down with your Maxwell and the Countesses if you, you know, had actually planned this pregnancy. Also, you admitted to me that you were relieved that the IVF hadn’t worked, however many years ago that was. Also, you have this habit of leaving out key pieces of information, like ‘oh yeah, I joined the CIA…”

“Alright, alright, fuck you very much. Are you going to answer my question or not? And I didn’t ask how you or your husband or stepdaughter are doing because I already know the answer. You are unbelievably lucky and James and Aurora are infinitely merciful in taking pity on you, hence they remain in your life.”

Logan grinned. “Fortunately for you, I made some popcorn before I answered this Skype call.” He laughed as she responded with a two-fingered salute. “Seriously, what are you worried about?”

“Um...besides parenting in general? Let’s see...overstepping boundaries? Not being supportive enough?”

“Alright, alright, stupid question. I guess, given your situation, I have to ask why you’re thinking of this in those terms. I mean, Madeleine isn’t going to refer to herself as a stepmother. I can’t imagine it anyway. So why would you have to?”

Riley looked stumped for a few moments. “Well…”

Logan took pity on her. “Okay, shelve that.” He paused. “You don’t have to tell me what you’re thinking. I’ll stop prying. Um, as far as the step-parent thing...well, you just have to remind yourself that you’re a parental figure in the child’s life, so you need to be responsible, a good role model, a parent rather than a friend, but you don’t undermine the child’s parents. And honestly, you have to forgive yourself when you mess up.”

Riley nodded, her eyebrows furrowed. “That’s all very logical. And helpful, yes.” She sighed, her eyes taking on a look that said she was far away, probably pondering a question that only made sense to her. Logan wondered if he had time to go make himself a sandwich.

“Here’s the thing,” she said suddenly, leaning closer to the computer screen. “That question you asked earlier, that I totally dodged? Well, um, let’s just say, um…”

“You don’t particularly want to be a parent?” Logan schooled his expression into military impassivity. The thing about Riley was, she was smart and rational, but she had that impulsive, adrenaline-seeking streak within her. When she’d gotten engaged after knowing Maxwell for a few months, Logan had worried, until he’d set foot in Cordonia and observed the two of them and was struck by how they seemed like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that didn’t look like they’d fit together, but then fit together perfectly. It had been a short-lived relief, as, a few weeks later, he’d learned that they were planning to have a baby whom they would allow to be appointed as heir to the throne. The anxiety he’d felt had rivaled the anxiety he’d had when he decided to leave his father’s ranch, when he’d discovered the truth about his mother’s death, when he’d been deployed, and when he’d realized he couldn’t find his way out of a bottle. He’d known people who hadn’t wanted children who changed their minds upon finding their life partners, but such dramatic changes in Riley’s life at such breakneck speed worried him. He’d seen the relief on her face when that plan had been disrupted, and he’d seen her be content to remain childless when everyone around her became parents. Logan wasn’t about to go prying into the weird politics of Cordonia, but he suspected that this pregnancy hadn’t been Riley’s idea.

“Yeah. Or no. You know what I mean. But it’s not so much that as….” Riley chewed her bottom lip. “I’m just not sure I’m ready to share Maxwell.”

It was nice that she could still surprise him. Logan exhaled and leaned back in his chair. “Well, that’s understandable. But also, a little absurd. This is Maxwell we’re talking about. He’s kind of like a supernova, accept one that nurtures instead of destroys. Or something like that.”

Riley blinked in surprise, then a slow smile spread across her face. “You’re right.”

Logan wasn’t quite sure why this had the effect of settling Riley’s mind. But he’d learned not to question his victories too much. Someday, hopefully very soon, Riley would finally realize that she was as capable of giving love as much as Maxwell was, that she was strong enough to love in the same, unabashed way.

*****

Fatima had been ready to be done with pregnancy at various points during the last thirty-six weeks. But now she was very much not ready, which was rather inconvenient, as she didn’t particularly have a choice in the manner. Still, her contractions were twenty minutes apart, and she’d only had three. Quite possibly she could go lay down and ignore reality for a little while.

Riley rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. “Is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“You remind me of my neighbor’s cat when I was five years old. My first birth.” Riley paused. “You don’t need a birthing box, but you do need me to prepare Madeleine and Maxwell and keep them from hovering like twin helicopters.”

Thank God or the universe or whatever forces existed for Riley. “Yes. Exactly. And you’ll have to deliver this baby if we don’t make it to the birthing center on time. You...have delivered babies before, as a paramedic, right? Not just kittens.”

It was a question that Fatima had asked Riley a dozen times. Riley answered the same way she had answered the previous dozen times.

“I have, but we have time to get to the birthing center. You call your doula and I’ll go round up our spouses.”

Madeleine and Maxwell arrived in Riley’s study at almost the exact same moment. Maxwell looked at the two women. “If you called us both here randomly when Fatima is 36 weeks pregnant…”

“Correct.” Riley nodded. “Here’s what’s going to happen. “We’ll meet the car in fifteen minutes. We do everything Fatima says, unless what she says is medically inadvisable, at which point I will overrule. If either of you deviates from this, I will punch a hole in your back, rip out your spine, and beat you with it. Am I clear?”

“As crystal,” Madeleine said, as Maxwell gave a nod.

“Alright. Madeleine, go join Fatima. Maxwell, grab the bags.”

**

Sarah Catherine Beaumont, named for various important women in her mothers’ lives and, of course, for her father, had Fatima’s eyes and Maxwell’s nose. She also had delectable feet. Riley wasn’t one-hundred percent sure of the latter fact, as she’d been distracted during the birth, but she thought it was safe to assume, since babies had the odd quality of having feet that Riley, for some reason, wanted to consume.

She didn’t feel any different than when she’d been close by for her friends’ deliveries, didn’t feel anything for Sarah other than the vague but persistent feelings of being an auntie, and the relief over Fatima being exhausted but happy and well.

The shift occurred when Fatima carefully handed Sarah’s swaddled form over to Maxwell. Riley watched the way Maxwell’s hands, tentative at first, then sure and steady. His eyes shone, and the smile that always made Riley’s breath hitch, the one that spread slowly, the one that always said he couldn’t believe his luck, spread across his countenance. It wasn’t unusual to see such a smile cross a new father’s face, and it always made Riley grin, but she was struck by the reality that this one signaled that she had the privilege of being privy to it.

**

Madeleine wasn’t used to her thoughts actually standing still. Indeed, when she had imagined this moment, she had imagined herself overwhelmed with everything that would need to be done, with every possibility, both positive and negative that awaited them. 

Instead, Sarah just wrapped her tiny hand around Madeleine’s finger as if to say “Relax Mom. You’ve got this.” And somehow, Madeleine actually believed it.

**

Maxwell had worried that the strange circumstances would put a strain on his marriage. He’d worried that he wouldn’t be a good father. He’d worried about a host of possibilities, but none of those worries mattered now that he was holding his daughter in his arms and he had the love of his life by his side.

And she was by his side, one hand on his thigh, as if to remind him that she was there, steady as an anchor. Or maybe he was finally able to grasp, he mused, that he anchored her as much as she anchored him.

******

It felt like a dream, or would have, if Fatima didn’t have the pain of labor to remind her that she had, indeed, just given birth. Still, there was something rather surreal about this moment, like how she already loved her daughter as much as she did.

She’d imagined becoming a mother, once, but hadn’t dared to hope for it, unsure if it was in the cards for her. She couldn’t have imagined the strange circumstances that surrounded her pregnancy and birth. 

She lay back, looked at the four most important people in her life, and couldn’t imagine anything different.


End file.
